Skip to main content

Perfect CA Weekend

It would appear on close inspection that although the calendar says fall the weather in Northern California around the first week of November is downright summery. It happened twice in a row. Last year this time it was equally beautiful - I know because we were here. And so on in the past few. It was quite the Twain's Quip (About the Coldest Winter) altering weekend this one! This Saturday was 72 degrees in the City by the Bay and the skies were a perfect azure. Since the remainder of the family is out of town traveling I decided to satiate my hiking bug by suiting up and traversing some trails I had in mind to trample. So I started out on the northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula and hiked along its north - NW edge up and down (both in distance and elevation). After coming up from the beaches of Crissy Field (named after a WWI Major and the fact that it was an airfield in the day) I hiked up the hills to reach the 75 year anniversary celebrating Golden Gate Bridge.
It was fun to see the new artefacts being sold in the Bridge House to tourists from all over the world. The steps leading up to the Viewing Gallery showcase the Welcome sign in 20 odd languages from the world. Deciding to follow the tourists (by becoming one in spirit) I completed a walk across the 4,200 feet span taking pictures galore.
Waved to double deckers passing by with gawking foreigners (much like what we would have looked like in Paris atop an open air double deck affair).
Its amazing how few people from the local neighborhoods actually take time to visit what is in their backyard but will shell out thousands to see someone else's coast. Like many top tier coastal cities SF is beautiful on a day like yesterday - mild, breezy and the Sun on Full with few wisps of clouds dotting the Marin Headlands to the north. After that bridge crossing it was time for some nutrition that came in the form of some Vietnamese Pho (soup) that I happened on as I walked into Golden Gate park and out the other end. I am hoping to shed some weight and light on my physical attributes but with the gusto that follows (at the lunch table) the back breaking journey I think the best takeaway may be the memories and pictures.
Labels:

Comments

  1. RajendraNovember 4, 2012 at 6:21 PM

    Without the traffic, many of our cities would actually look great! I missed out on SF, during my round-the-US yatras. Oh, well, I did go to Yellowstone!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Of chocolates

I like chocolates. Godiva Dark with Almonds - not sure of the naked woman on the horse to be the icon of some choice cocoa based products but tastes good. Started in Belgium but now owned by some Turks. Cadburys - Fruit and Nut Milk Bars - awesome combination of dried fruit pieces along with a medley of nuts makes your toungue dance - started by a Brit now owen by Kraft USA. Lindt Hazelnut spheres - made by a Swiss confectioner are divine balls that melt in your mouth with a lingering nutty taste Ghirardelli Milk Crisp Squares - crunchy and light these milk squares are easy on the palate but pack some serious calories - all good I say! Originally founded by an Italian who moved around till he landed in SF Bay today also owned by the Swiss Lindt empire.
Post a Comment
Read more

Columbia SC

 The Palmetto state.  One of the confederate kinds. History dating couple centuries back.  We visited the capital yet again this time to take in the SC State Museum. Occupying the former digs (literally remodeled) of an erstwhile cotton mill this structure is an amazing piece of reimagination.  Four floors of excitement for kids and young at heart alike. Located on the shores of the Congaree River formed when the Broad meets up with the Saluda River, this edifice is approx. 60 years old.  The front of the building has a more modern planetarium that was added about a decade ago.  The museum itself has different areas of interest segregated on each of its four floors. The first floor has gift shop and a diorama of some of the local geography including the swamps and the state beaches with audio guides to help understand what fauna thrives locally. The second floor is all about natural history and showcases animal kingdom that may have survived on this latitud...
Post a Comment
Read more

But What If We're Wrong?

I attempted to read this book by author Chuck Klosterman backward to forward but it started hurting my brain so I decided to stop and do it like any other publication in the English language.  Start from page 1 and move to the right. Witty, caustic and thought provoking this is a book you want to read if you believe that the status quo might, just might be wrong. At times bordering on being contrarian about most things around us it tries to zero in on the notion of what makes anything believable and certain in our minds.  The fact that there is a fact itself is ironic.  Something analogous to the idea that you can never predict the future because there is no future. Many books and movies have tried to play on this concept - best that I recollect (I think I am) was 'The Truman Show'.  This book by Klosterman attempts to provoke the reader to at least contemplate that what they think they know may be wrong. He uses examples like concept of gravity, and how it ...
2 comments
Read more